As Sudan's conflict enters a fourth year, civilians are increasingly trapped not only by frontline violence but by fear, disappearance and detention, according to an update by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan to the 62nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.
Both sides in the conflict - the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with allied groups - are increasingly trying to control populations already exhausted by war.
"Civilians continue to bear the overwhelming burden of this conflict," said Mission Chair Mohamed Chande Othman, warning that violence has evolved into a broader system of repression reaching into nearly every aspect of civilian life.
'Dangerous' movements
For many Sudanese families, simply moving from one place to another has become a dangerous act.
The Mission documented civilians being stopped at checkpoints, accused of supporting opposing forces and detained without legal process.
People attempting to cross between territories controlled by different parties reportedly face arrest, abuse and enforced disappearance. Those targeted include journalists, humanitarian workers, traders, community leaders and ordinary civilians trying to reach safer areas or maintain livelihoods.
"Civilians are increasingly pressured to demonstrate loyalty and, in some cases, actively align themselves with one of the warring parties as a condition for their safety, freedom and economic survival" said Expert Member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo.
Families pushed deeper into crisis
Beyond detention itself, investigators warned that extortion linked to arbitrary arrests is compounding Sudan's humanitarian emergency.
The Mission documented cases in which families were instructed to pay substantial sums to secure the release of detained relatives. Some reportedly faced demands equivalent to around $40,000 - impossible amounts for households already struggling under conflict, displacement and collapsing livelihoods.
These practices are also disrupting fragile local economies. In places including El Fasher, El Obeid, Dilling and Kadugli, traders crossing front lines face heightened risks of detention and abduction, reducing access to food and further worsening insecurity for communities already under strain.
Disappearing humanitarian workers
The Mission expressed particular concern over reports that at least 70 individuals, including humanitarian workers, were arrested in El Geneina during May 2026 and have not been heard from since. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Investigators warned that enforced disappearances of aid personnel extend far beyond the individuals affected.
"No family should be left in silence and uncertainty while searching for loved ones" said Expert Member Mona Rishmawi.
She stressed that attacks against humanitarian workers weaken relief operations and place entire communities at greater risk by interrupting access to life-saving assistance.
Detention conditions threaten lives
Conditions inside detention facilities under both parties remain deeply concerning, according to the Mission.
Detainees are held in overcrowded cells and are given inadequate food and water, poor sanitation and limited access to medical care. Some facilities reportedly face outbreaks of diseases, including cholera.
Former detainees described beatings, electrocution, sexual violence and prolonged isolation. Thousands are believed to be held in facilities such as Nyala Prison in South Darfur under conditions that are incompatible with human dignity.
The lack of independent access to detention centres has made it increasingly difficult for families to obtain information and heightened fears surrounding disappearances and deaths in custody.
Calls for accountability
The Mission urged all parties to immediately cease arbitrary arrests and detention, release individuals held without legal basis and disclose the whereabouts of detainees.
It also called for independent access to detention facilities and renewed international efforts to ensure accountability.
Without action, investigators warned, patterns of abuse risk becoming even more entrenched, leaving Sudanese civilians to endure a conflict where fear, uncertainty and separation increasingly define everyday life.
The members of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council .
They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.
